There is a continuous drive in the electronics industry to miniaturize integrated circuits, for a variety of reasons well known to those skilled in the art. Significant developments in the semiconductor industry were made possible by advances in photolithography, from the micron scale to the nanometer scale, but the physical resolution limits of optical lithography have now almost been reached, thus constraining further advancement. However, continued growth of the semiconductor industry depends on increasing the performance of integrated circuits on a silicon substrate.
Recent developments in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, at 13.5 nm, has enabled some further scaling/miniaturization of integrated circuits, but enormous challenges still obstruct the full implementation of this technique in the semiconductor industry.
Electron-beam lithography (e-beam, EBL) has been considered as a potential complement to optical lithography on account of its high resolution. However, even this high resolution is somewhat limited by the nature of the eBeam resists currently available, which tend to scatter primary electrons, thus producing secondary electrons and proximity effects which compromise the resolution and clarity of the ultimate printed pattern.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve at least one of the problems of the prior art.